Wire winding machine



Jan, 1966 F. H. KAUFMANN 1,

WIRE WINDING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR FHA/VA H. 164 UFMA/V/V BY rdm 1966 F. H. KAUFMANN WIRE WINDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 26, 1963 INVENTOR. FRANK/l. KAUFMAN/V I LtL.

ATTORNEY Jan. 25, 1966 F. H. KAUFMANN WIRE WINDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 26, 1963 INVENTOR F/PA/V/f H. KA UFMA/VA/ BY '13 AT 7' ORA/E V United States Patent 3,231,208 WIRE WINDING MACHINE Frank H. Kaufmann, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., assignor to Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 26, 1963, Ser. No. 297,809 6 Claims. (Cl. 242-25) This invention relates to wire winding machines.

Difficulties have heretofore been encountered in the winding of wire onto spools and the like, and particularly flat wire, onto a drum with light uniform tension. Variations in tension may result in an unsatisfactory package, in lack of uniformity of wind, and in breaking of the wire. Discontinuities in the wire are objectionable and may interfere with the end use of the wire.

In the winding of wire, and particularly flat wire, onto a drum with the tension maintained uniform the speed of the drum onto which the wire is Wound changes, and decreases, as the drum is filled.

The machines heretofore available attempted to derive the power both for drum rotation and for traverse omration from a single motor but the intervening driving mechanism did not permit of obtaining uniform tension of the wound wire with smooth traverse operation to apply the wire in a regular pattern.

The winding apparatus heretofore available for wire winding with uniform wire tension and drum rotational speed accommodation has not proven satisfactory particularly where the wire is being fed at a fixed. rate of speed and with light uniform tension.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a winding machine for wire and the like with which uniformity of tension of the wire is maintained with a smooth traversing action.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a winding machine of the character aforesaid in which the drum or reel is mounted for easy application and removal.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a winding machine of the character aforesaid which will be free from operating difiiculties and capable of continuous operation free from interruptions.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for winding fiat wire which is fed as a fixed rate of speed and where the winding is accomplished with a light uniform tension.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a winding machine for flat wire in which the speed of rotation of the drum can be quickly and easily determined by the use of easily accessible change gears.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a winding machine for flat wire in which the length and position of the traverse can be quickly and easily adjusted by readily accessible manual controls.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a winding machine for fiat wire in which separate motors are provided for the drum or master winding drive and for the traverse drive, with the traverse drive subservient to the drum drive through control of the traverse drive motor.

Other objects and advantageous characteristics of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following de scription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational View of a preferred form of Winding machine in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of the machine shown 3,231,208 Patented Jan. 25, 1966 ice in FIG. 1, parts being broken away to show the details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view, enlarged, showing a portion of the traverse rack driving mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal verticalsectional view taken approximately on the line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. '7 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 7-7 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the motor con trol circuits.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, a base or frame F is provided having a lower horizontal base portion F1, and a rear vertical upright frame portion F4.

The horizontal base portion F1 has a pair of spaced longitudinal rails 10 carried thereby for the reception of supporting guides 11 which support a carriage 12 for reciprocation on the rails 10. The carriage 12 has spaced vertical end frame uprights F2 and F3. The base portion F1 also has fixedly mounted thereon, between the rails 10, a lower rack 13 and an upper rack 14.

The end frame uprights F2 and F3 have a horizontal main drum shaft 20 carried thereby mounted in bearings 21, and with a cantilever or over hanging portion 23 for the reception of the drum 25 on which winding is to be effected.

The drum 25 is preferably positioned by collars 26 and is driven by keys 27 which engage the shaft cantilever portion 23, the collars 26 and the drum 25. The collars 26 can be provided with set screws 28 for locking the same against movement longitudinally of the shaft portion 23.

The frame uprights F1 and F2 are held in spaced rela tion by spacer bars 3%) and have an upper countershaft 31 and lower countershaft 32 carried thereby in bearings 33.

It will be noted that the drum shaft 20 and the upper countershaft 31 extend outwardly beyond the frame upright F1 for accessible mounting of selected change gears as hereinafter explained.

The carriage 12 has a platform 35 with the main drive motor M1 mounted thereon. The motor M1 can be of any suitable type but an alternating current induction motor of the variable torque type has been found suitable. The motor M1 has a motor shaft 36 on which a sprocket or pulley 37 is keyed. The sprocket 37 is connected by a drive chain 38 to a sprocket 39 keyed to the lower countershaft 32.

The lower countcrshaft 32 has a gear 40 keyed thereto which meshes with a gear 41 on the upper countershaft 31 for driving the upper countershaft 31.

The upper countershaft 31 has a selected change gear 42 removably keyed thereto and held against endwise displacement by a set screw (not shown). The drum shaft 20 has a change gear 45 removably keyed thereto and retained by a set screw 46. The gear 45 meshes with the gear 42, these gears being selected in a range of sizes to determine the rotation of the drum shaft 25.

Merely by way of illustration the drum shaft 29 can by selection of the gears 4-2 and 45, operate in a range of from about 94 to 300 r.p.m. with the peripheral speed at the drum 25 in the range of about 480 to over 1500 feet per minute.

The frame upright F3 has mounted thereon the traverse drive motor M2. The motor M2 can be of any suitable type but an alternating current motor of the variable speed type has been found suitable. The motor M2 has a motor shaft 55 with a sprocket 56 keyed thereto and connected by a chain 57 to a sprocket 58' on an input shaft 59 of an adjustable speed changer 60 carried on the platform 35. The adjustable speed changer 69 has a manually adjustable handle 61 for varying the output to input speed ratio as desired.

The adjustable speed changer 60 has an output shaft 62 with a sprocket 63 thereon. The sprocket 63 has a driving chain .64 thereon which is in driving engagement with a sprocket 68 on an intermediate shaft 65. The shaft 65 is carried in brackets 66 extending downwardly from the platform 35 and has a worm gear e7 keyed thereto.

A traverse drive control shaft 70 having keyed thereto a pinion 71 with which the worm gear 67 is in continuous driving engagement, is journaied in bearings 72 in a pair of downwardly extending bearing brackets 7 3 to the front and rear of the pinion 71.

The platform 35 also carries a front solenoid operated clutch 74 and rear solenoid operated clutch 75 to which the shaft 70 extends in driving relation.

The platform 35 also has front and rear downwardly extending bearing brackets 75 and 77 with bearings 7 8 thereon for the support of a front drive shaft 79 and a rear drive shaft 89.

The front drive shaft 79 is in driven-relation to the front clutch 74 and has a front rack gear 81 keyed thereto which is in continuous engagement with the fixed upper rack 14.

The rear drive shaft 80 is in driven relation to the rear clutch 75 and has a rear rack gear 82 keyed thereto which is in continuous engagement with the fixed lower rack 13.

The end frame upright F3 has a reversing switch 85 mounted thereon and movable therewith, the switch 85 having a rearwardly projecting operating arm 86.

The rear frame portion F4 has an upper horizontal housing 87 mounted on spaced end mounting blocks 38. Within the housing 87 a rod 89 is journaled. The rod 89 between its ends is threaded for engagement by an internally threaded portion 91 of a switch arm tripper 92,. The housing 87 is open along the bottom to permit movement for adjustment along the rod 89 of the tripper 92 as determined by the rotation of the rod 39 by a manual operating handle 93.

The rear frame portion F4 has a lower horizontal housing 87a mounted on spaced end mounting blocks 88a. Within the housing 87a a rod 89a is journale-d. The rod 891:, between its end is threaded for engagement by the internally threaded portion 91a of a switch arm tripper 92a. The housing 87a is open along the top to permit movement for adjustment along the rod 89a of the tripper 92a, as determined by the rotation of the rod 89a by a manual operating handle 9311.

Referring now to FIG. 8, in which a block diagram is shown of the electrical controls, as an AC. power supply 95 is provided, connected to the master winding drive 96, to the clutch excitation solenoid 97 through a regulator reference power supply 98 and to the slave or subservient traverse drive 99.

The master winding device 96 includes the motor M1 connected in driving relation to the winding load 1% applied at the drum 25. The motor M1 has an eddy current coupling 19]. to which the clutch excitation solenoid 97 is connected and has an A.C. tachometer generator 102 to provide a following voltage 193 applied through a rectifier as an adjustable level rectified voltage to an integrator 105- The regulator reference power supply 98 has start and stop controls 106 and 107.

The traverse drive 99 includes the motor M2 connected in driving relation to the traverse load 108 applied through the control shaft 70 and selectively through the clutches 74 or 75. The motor M2 has an eddy current coupling 109 to which an input is applied from the integrator 105 through an amplifietr 110. The traverse drive 99 also includes an AC. tachometer generator 111 to provide a rectified following voltage to the integrator 1&5.

The motor M2 is also electrically connected through a regulator reference power supply 113 to provide a DC. voltage for application at the integrator 105.

The mode of operation will now be pointed out.

The motor M1 is energized and through the motor shaft 36, the sprocket 37, chain 38 and sprocket 39 drives the lower countershaft 32. The lower countershaft 32 drives the upper countershaft 31 through the gears 39 and 41. The upper countershaft 31 through the change gears 42 and 45 drives the drum shaft 21), at a speed determined by the selection of the change gears 42 and 45.

The drum shaft 20, through the keys 27, drives the drum 25 to provide the desired rotational speed and linear peripheral speed.

The motor M2 is also energized, with a controlled power supply, to control the speed thereof and as hereinafter referred to. Rotation of the motor MZ'and through the motor shaft 55, the sprocket 56, the chain 57, and the sprocket 58 actuates the input shaft 59 of the adjustable speed changer 60. The output shaft 62, through the sprocket 63, the chain 64 and sprocket 68 drives the intermediate shaft 65 to actuate the worm gear 67 and through the pinion 71 rotate the control shaft 70.

The control shaft 70 is effective dependent upon which clutch 74 or '75 is positioned by its solenoid for selectively connecting the shaft 70 either to the shaft 79 or to the shaft 80.

Assuming first that the shaft 70 is connected by the clutch 74 in driving relation to the shaft 79, the gear 81 thereon by its engagement with the upper rack 14 is effective to move the carriage 12 in a predetermined direction. The clutch in the meantime is in a condition so that the shaft is not driven from the shaft 70.

As the carriage 12 moves towards one end of its horizontal path, the reversing switch arm 86 engages one of the switch arm tripper 92 or 92a, say the tripper 92. This engagement is effective for reversing the energization of the solenoids of the clutches 74 and 75. If, as previously assumed the clutch 74 was actuated to drive the shaft 79, this clutch 74 is now shifted to a disconnect condition and at the same time the solenoid of the other clutch 75 is energized to effect connection through the clutch 75 of the shaft 70 and the shaft 80.

The shaft 80 through the engagement of the gear 82 with the lower rack 13 is effective to move the carriage 12 in the opposite direction.

As the carriage 12 moves in this direction and towards the opposite end of its horizontal path, the reversing switch arm 86 engages the other of the switch arm trippers, say the tripper 92a. This engagement is effective for reversing the energization of the solenoids of the clutches 74 and 75 and restores the operating conditions originally referred to.

The positions of the trippers 92 and 92a can be adjusted by the handles 93 and 93a.

The motor M2 is controlled as to speed by the slave relation to the motor M1 through the control referred to above in connection with FIG. 8. If the speed of the master winding drive either increases or decreases while maintaining substantially constant tension on the wire being wound the traverse drive also increases or decreases its speed in a controlled relation to the speed of the master winding drive.

Additional adjustment of the speed of traverse is available if desired, through adjustment of the adjustable speed changer 60 by its adjusting handle 61.

The apparatus heretofore described is effective for accomplishing the objects of the invention.

I claim:

1. A wire winding machine comprising a base, a carriage mounted on said base for reciprocatory movement, said carriage having spaced uprights, a drum shaft journaled in said uprights and having a portion extending beyond one of said uprights for the reception of a drum and another portion extending beyond the other of said uprights, a main driving motor mounted on said carriage for movement therewith, driving connections between said main motor and said other drum shaft portion, a pair of parallel elongated traverse racks mounted on said base, a second motor mounted on said carriage, a traverse drive control shaft mounted on said carriage, driving connections between said second motor and said traverse drive control shaft, a pair of shafts mounted on said carriage and aligned with said traverse drive control shaft at opposite ends thereof, and solenoid operated clutches between said traverse drive control shaft and each of the shafts of said pair having a gear in engagement within one of said racks, said solenoid operated clutches being selectively energized for traverse motion of said carriage.

2. A wire Winding machine as defined in claim 1 in which said main drive motor is a variable torque motor and said traverse drive motor is a variable speed motor.

3. A wire winding machine as defined in claim 1 in which said driving connections between said motor and said drum shaft includes a countershaft extending beyond said other of said uprights, and change speed gears are provided on said countershaft and said other portion of said drum shaft.

4. A wire winding machine as defined in claim 1 in which the driving connections between said second motor and said traverse drive control shaft includes an adjustable speed changer mounted on said carriage.

5. A wire winding machine as defined in claim 1 in which said frame has a rear vertical frame portion, said carriage has a reversing switch for controlling the energization of said solenoid operated clutches, and said rear vertical frame portion has adjustable reversing switch trippers mounted thereon.

6. A wire winding machine comprising (a) a fixed base having horizontal rails,

(b) said base having a vertical upright: frame,

(c) a carriage mounted on said rails for reciprocation therealong,

(d) said carriage having spaced vertical uprights,

(e) a horizontal drum shaft journaled in said uprights and having a cantilever portion extending beyond one of said uprights for the reception of a drum and another portion extending beyond the other of said uprights,

(f) a variable torque main driving motor mounted on said carriage for movement therewith,

(g) a countershaft journaled in said spaced uprights and having a portion extending beyond said other of said uprights,

(h) change gears on said last mentioned shaft portion and on said other portion of said drum shaft in driving engagement,

(i) driving connections between said main driving motor and said countersh'aft,

(j) a pair of elongated traverse racks mounted on said base,

(k) a variable speed traverse operating motor mounted on said carriage,

(l) a traverse drive control shaft mounted on said carriage,

(m) a pair of shafts mounted on said carriage and aligned with said control shaft at opposite ends thereof,

(n) solenoid operated clutches between each of the shafts of said pair and said control shaft,

(0) each of said shafts of said pair having a gear secured thereon in engagement with one of said racks,

(p) and switch members for controlling the successive energization of said solenoid operated clutches for traverse reciprocation of said carriage. 

1. A WIRE WINDING MACHINE COMPRISING A BASE, A CARRIAGE MOUNTED ON SAID BASE FOR RECIPROCATROY MOVEMENT, SAID CARRIAGE HAVING SPACED UPRIGHTS, A DRUM SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID UPRIGHTS AND HAVING APORTION EXTENDING BEYOND ONE OF SAID UPRIGHTS FOR THE RECEPTION OF A DRUM AND ANOTHER PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND THE OTHER OF SAID UPRIGHTS, A MAIN DRIVING MOTOR MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, DRIVING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAID MAIN MOTOR AND SAID OTHER DRUM SHAFT PORTION, A PAIR OF PARALLEL ELONGATED TRAVERSE RACKS MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A SECOND MOTOR MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE, A TRAVERSE DRIVE CONTROL SHAFT MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE, DRIVING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAID SECOND MOTOR AND SAID TRAVERSE DRIVE CONTROL SHAFT, A PAIR OF SHAFTS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE AND ALIGNED WITH SAID TRAVERSE DRIVE CONTROL SHAFT AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, AND SOLENOID OPERATED CLUTCHES BETWEEN SAID TRAVERSE DRIVE CONTROL SHAFT AND EACH OF THE SHAFTS OF SAID PAIR HAVING A GEAR IN ENGAGEMENT WITHIN ONE OF SAID RACKS, SAID SOLENOID OPERATED CLUTCHES BEING SELECTIVELY ENERGIZED FOR TRAVERSE MOTION OF SAID CARRIAGE. 